As this kind of windshield, a laminated safety glass consisting of an annealing glass, a resin interlayer bonded to the interior-side surface of the annealing glass and an impermeable film bonded to the interior-side surface of the resin interlayer is known as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-4-19136.
As another example of such a windshield, a windshield shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is known. These figures illustrate a state in which a collision object is colliding with a windshield from the interior of a passenger compartment. In the figures, OUT indicates the outside of the passenger compartment and IN the inside of the passenger compartment.
FIG. 9A illustrates a state in which a collision object 111 is heading toward a windshield 112. The windshield 112 is made from a glass having two glasses 113 and 114 curved from the passenger compartment toward the vehicle outside, bonded together with an interlayer 115 (hereinafter referred to as a “laminated glass”).
The laminated safety glass in HEI-4-19136 or the windshield 112 shown in FIG. 9A takes into account the safety of vehicle passengers, and mitigates impact on the head of a passenger hitting against the laminated safety glass or the windshield 112 upon a vehicle collision. However, no consideration is given to the safety of pedestrians, that is, collision objects from the outside of the vehicle compartment toward the laminated safety glass or the windshield 112.
In FIG. 9B, when the collision object 111 hits on the windshield 112, the windshield 112 is partly broken, mitigating the impact of collision. However, as described above, the windshield 112 does not allow for impact from the vehicle outside. Further, the windshield 112 has a shape curved outward of the passenger compartment, that is, a so-called “arch” shape in cross section, and is thus more unbreakable against a load from the outside of the passenger compartment than from the inside of the passenger compartment.
Further, recent years' trends toward short-nose vehicles with passenger compartments expanded in space and slant-nose vehicles with front end portions inclined downward to reduce air resistance in high-speed travel result in increased collisions from the vehicle front toward windshields. On the other hand, under an increased rate of seatbelt wearing and the widespread adoption of airbags, importance is being attached to consideration to the safety of pedestrians in addition to the safety of vehicle passengers. In other words, it is desired to improve a vehicle windshield mounting structure so as to effectively mitigate the impact of collision with windshields from the outside of passenger compartments.